Book Blogger Hop

Participating in all kinds of follow memes today, hoping to get back in the game.

This week on the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Crazy-for-Books, the prompt is:
  
Highlight one book you have received this week that you can't wait to dig into.

I'm heading to the library on my lunch break to pick up four books that just came in for me. It never rains but it pours, right? I'll have a hard time deciding which one to dig into first. These four are:

Black Blade Blues
J.A.Pitts

Lesbian fantasy - be still my heart! Sarah Beauhall has more on her plate than most twenty-somethings: day job as a blacksmith, night job as a props manager for low-budget movies, and her free time is spent fighting in a medieval re-enactment group.The lead actor breaks Sarah’s favorite one-of-a-kind sword, and to avoid reshooting scenes, Sarah agrees to repair the blade. One of the extras, who claims to be a dwarf, offers to help. That’s when things start to get weird. Could the sword really be magic, as the "dwarf" claims? Are dragons really living among us as shapeshifters? As if things weren’t surreal enough, Sarah’s girlfriend Katie breaks out the dreaded phrase… “I love you.”  As her life begins to fall apart, first her relationship with Katie, then her job at the movie studio, and finally her blacksmithing career, Sarah hits rock bottom. It is at this moment, when she has lost everything she has prized, that one of the dragons makes their move. Suddenly what was unthinkable becomes all too real…and Sarah will have to decide if she can reject what is safe and become the heroine who is needed to save her world.

Museum of the Missing: A History of Art Theft
Simon Houpt

Priceless masterpieces...Brazen thefts: The true story behind the blank spaces on the museum walls. What kind of person would dare to steal a legendary painting--and who would buy something so instantly recognizable? In recent years, art theft has captured the public imagination more than ever before, spurred by both real life incidents (the snatching of Edvard Munch's well-known masterwork "The Scream") and the glamorous fantasy of such Hollywood films as "The Thomas Crown Affair." The truth is, according to INTERPOL records, more than 20,000 stolen works of art are missing--including Rembrandts, Renoirs, van Goghs, and Picassos. "Museum of the Missing" offers an intriguing tour through the underworld of art theft, where the stakes are high and passions run strong.

Original Sin: A Sally Sin Adventure 
Beth McMullen

In this hilarious debut, a former U.S. spy turned stay-at-home mother of a toddler tries to find a most elusive work-life balance when the USAWMD (United States Agency for Weapons of Mass Destruction) decides it desperately requires her services again, and calls her back into the field.

Prisoners in the Palace: How Victoria Became Queen with the Help of Her Maid, A Reporter, and A Scoundrel: A Novel of Intrigue and Romance
Michaela MacColl

London, 1838. Sixteen-year-old Liza's dreams of her society debut are dashed when her parents are killed in an accident. Penniless, she accepts the position of lady's maid to young Princess Victoria and steps unwittingly into the gossipy intrigue of the servant's world below-stairs as well as the trickery above. Is it possible that her changing circumstances may offer Liza the chance to determine her own fate, find true love, and secure the throne for her future queen?

So, which should it be? Lesbian fantasy? Literary non-fiction? Hilarious girl spy thriller? Or historical YA?

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday

Busy week, work-wise, meaning slow week, blogging-wise, but I'm always thrilled to participate in the weekly Book Blogger Hop and Follow Friday memes.

This week's Book Blogger Hop question:

What book are you most looking forward to seeing published in 2011? Why are you anticipating that book?

I think I'm going to have to pull from a previous Waiting-on-Wednesday meme post about Anne Patchett's State of Wonder, being published in June 2011. Having been given Bel Canto by a best friend, the publication of State of Wonder not only provides me with a (hopefully) enraptured new reading experience, but will give the added pleasure of sharing yet another wonderful book with my best friend(s).

This week's Follow Friday question:

What is/was your favorite subject in school?

This was and still is a tie between English and that category known as "Social Studies". In terms of Social Studies, I don't just mean history, because dates are the bane of my existence, and I don't just mean sociology, because I'm interested in more than social systems; I mean the two of them put together. When I was in 8th grade, my classmates both hated and loved me for my ability to ask a seemingly innocuous question that the teacher would then spend 25 minutes answering; loved it if they wanted to goof off in class, hated it if they just wanted to move on to the next topic. I remember in my yearbook for that year, my Social Studies teacher wrote something about me doing well with a career in English and being so insulted because I wanted to be an Anthropologist and teach cultural studies. I can't say he was wrong, though, as I currently work in publishing. In terms of English, well, when you read as much as I do, it's sort of a natural fit. I double-majored in college, English with a focus in children's literature, Anthropology with a focus in Native American studies, wrote two theses, and though I now have an MFA in Writing Literature for Children, still dream of getting my dual JD/PhD in Legal Anthropology. I'm young, there's still plenty of time for many new careers.

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday

Trying to get back into the swing of weekly blogging, and what better way than to participate in the weekly crazes 

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop?

This week's Book Blogger Hop question:

"Why do you read the genre that you do?  What draws you to it?"

Well, as my reading tastes are wildly eclectic (ahem, excuse the shameless reference to my blog name), I am drawn to various genres because they all satisfy something specifically different in me. I don't get the same pleasure from a children's picturebook vs. children's novel, much less the same from a paranormal romance vs. adult non-fiction (all of which I read on a weekly basis). So, in short, it depends on my mood, on the time of year, on whether I'm traveling, on where I'll be reading the book, on how long I'll have to read at any given time, on what I read last, on what I last ate (just kidding), etc.

This week's Follow Friday question:

What makes up your non-human family? 

I don't currently have a non-human family of my own. My parents have a large black lab and a half-domesticated, feral barn cat. The house I live in has a cat, but it belongs to the owners and only likes me if a) they're not home, or b) it wants to be fed. But someday I will live with a blue Great Dane named Bella (that name was decided upon PRE-Twilight, folks, so don't even go there) and a stray cat.

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday

How could I almost forget? 

It's Book Blogger Hop and Follow Friday time!

This week's Book Blogger Hop question:

"What very popular and hyped book in the blogosphere did you NOT enjoy and how did you feel about posting your review?"

Sadly, especially considering how much I enjoyed The History of Love, Nicole Krauss's new novel,
Great House was a big disappointment to me. I found it difficult to relate to the narrator, the story elements I wanted to hear more about were not the ones expanded upon, and frankly, I thought the writing was a little boring. In addition to all of that, I just got the sense that the book was trying so hard to be literary, and I really dislike it when writing is aware of itself. So, I stopped reading it about half-way through. And didn't post a review because I tend to avoid posting negative reviews. This is just my own philosophy, but life's too short to continue reading a book you don't like, and there are so many books I did enjoy to blog about that I don't feel the need to blog about those I didn't.

This week's Follow Friday question:

What do you do besides reading / reviewing as a hobby?

If there's any time left over between work, reading, sleeping, eating, and working out, I craft, I photograph, I play the piano when there's one around, I'm considering learning the harmonica, I knit, I sew, I mixed-media collage, I make cards, I cook, I bake, and I'm always looking for more.

 Now then, nice to meet you all!

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday

It's that time again: 

Follow the yellow brick road, follow your dreams, and follow me
because it's 

Book Blogger Hop and Follow Friday!

This week's Book Blogger Hop question:

  "Since Thanksgiving is coming up next week, let's use this week's Hop to share what we are most thankful for and what our holiday traditions are!"

Most thankful for - how to answer without being a cliche or a jerk? I'm thankful for all the usual - a loving family, my fairly decent health, the fact that I have a job that allows me to buy fresh, local, and organic food most days of the month. But I'm also thankful for those things most people don't openly talk about:

- I'm thankful I'm recognized as an attractive person by most physical standards. I genuinely believe life is more difficult for those judged as having a less-than-traditional beauty.

- I'm grateful I have some sort of fashion sense (not saying it's good fashion, just that I have a sense of it), so that I know how to dress my non-commercialized body type in attractive ways.

- I'm thankful I was born with a natural intelligence. The educational advantages my parents worked hard to give me, aside, it's undeniable that I have both book and life smarts and I use them.

- I'm thankful I was raised to question life, to give in to curiosity, and to be a "doer", as in one who gets off one's ass to go out and explore the world first-hand (though this really goes back to being thankful for my family).

- In short, I'm thankful to be me, where I am, who I am, right now.

As for Thanksgiving traditions, well, first I try to reconcile Native American history with European American history. Then I travel to Syracuse, NY to have a big Thanksgiving dinner with my Polish grandmother, my father, my mother, my sister, my brother, and my 3 cousins (and whoever they bring [of the paramour variety] to Thanksgiving this year). This will be our first Thanksgiving without my uncle. PJF, may you forever rest in peace. You, and your wine-loosened tongue filling in the awkward conversational gaps with even more awkward family stories, will be missed.

Today's Follow Friday question:

 

"How long have you been blogging?"

That's a complicated one. As you can tell by the archive on the side of this blog, I've been blogging since February 2009. In reality, I've been blogging since 2007, but the original blog was more for me and my family. Those posts were deleted to make way for a new book-related public blog. BUT to complicate that, the original book blog was actually called Afterthoughts..., accompanied by Afterthoughts for Adults, accompanied by Afterfonts. I also blogged on my former store's blog, A Reading Odyssey, as well as blogging with my former grad school cohort (former grad school, former cohort, current good friends) on The Guinea Pigs blog. 

 

My current blog, Wildly Read, began in early November when I decided I wanted one blog to rule them all. Collected here are all the posts from all three of my previous blogs, the bookstore blog, and the Guinea Pigs blog, plus all the new posts I now create. Hence the need for new followers. I can import my posts; I can't import my follower list.

Book Blogger Hop

 

Welcome to my first Book Blogger Hop on my new blog.

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly follow hosted by Crazy-for-Books.

For those new to my blog, this is a compilation of three former blogs: Afterthoughts..., Afterthoughts for Adults, and Afterfonts. With this one blog to rule them all, I plan to continue blogging about children's books, adult books, and fonts/typography. I hope you follow me and enjoy!

This week's hop's featured question:

"If you find a book that looks interesting but is part of a series, do you always start with the first title?"

My answer:

Not unless the whole point is for me to find a new series. For instance, if I'm at a library or a bookstore and I pick up a book I think I'll like, I'll read it, even if it's not the first book in the series. BUT, if I'm trying to find a new series to begin - say, I've read everything of Christine Warren's and am looking for something new to pass the time before her newest book comes out - then yes, I will begin at the beginning.

Later in the day:
Visiting people's blogs today has been really eye-opening. I had no idea so many people consider jumping into a series so sacrilegious! There are certain series such as Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, or Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (quick, what do those three series have in common?) where the reader would miss so much, even be lost, if they began in the middle. Yet for certain series — such as The Baby-Sitter's Club by Ann M. Martin or any number of paranormal mass markets I can think of — starting in the middle may not be all that bad. Personally, I find that characters are often richer, more fully developed, and have more complex emotional reactions the later on you read in a series. I don't necessarily have to have read books 1-4 in order to enjoy the character development in book 5. Though I can understand that's not everyone's cup of tea, people's visceral responses to this question have been quite enlightening!

Book Blogger Hop!

This is only my second Book Blogger Hop for my adult book review blog. This Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy-for-Books, discovered (by me) through Presenting Lenore - thanks to both these blog/gers for providing a great way to meet new blog/gers!

To see the amazing blogs I discovered previously, visit my first hop.

As this is Book Blogger Appreciation Week, as part of the Hop, I will be sharing my "favorite book bloggers and why [I] love them".

I, of course, have to begin with Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, commonly known as Seven Imp, a book blog about children's books that is (if I may give my humble opinion) the preeminent children's book world blog. Interviews, artwork, children's book world discussions, this blog is a treasure trove of goodies waiting to be explored almost every day. Also, personally, they're named after a Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland quote, so how can I not love that?

a thousand Books with Quotes is another blog I look up often, as I appreciate the sampling of quotes from each book with the general synopsis. Better than any "look inside!" preview, it whets the appetite even more to find out what those quotes are about and where they fit in to the overall plot.

Last, but not least, As the Crowe Flies and Reads by my friend and former co-worker Ms. Emily Crowe is a fabulous read-and-travel-log. Sharing informed opinions, asking critical question, reviewing great books, and showcasing incredible photography and travel stories, this is one of my favorite blogs whether I'm looking for a literary book recommendation or my next dream vacation.

Blogs I have discovered today through the Hop include:

1. Pen and Paper, who gave me a great idea for a post about a Shelf of Awesome, coming soon, I hope!
2. Blkosiner's Book Blog hosted the original Shelf of Awesome idea.
3. A Trillian Books has an adorable blog design and great YA and adult book reviews.

4. For What It's Worth also has a stylish blog design and combines book reviews with music reviews - how great is that? I love discovering both!

As always, check 'em out!

Also just discovered this Follow My Book Blog Friday:


Hosted by Parajunkee, this is very similar to the Book Blogger Hop mentioned above. Today they are featuring Bailey of IB Book Blogging, and the question is: Do you read YA or stick with adult?

Both, of course! (Of course for me, anyway.) But this blog is for my children's/YA book review-related posts only. My adult book reviews can be found on Afterthoughts for Adults.

Thanks to Bloggin' 'Bout Books for turning me on to this!

Book Blogger Hop!

This is my third Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Crazy-for-Books, discovered (by me) through Presenting Lenore - thanks to both these blog/gers for providing a great way to meet new blog/gers!

To see the amazing blogs I discovered previously, visit my first Hop and my second Hop.

As this is Book Blogger Appreciation Week, as part of the Hop, I will be sharing my "favorite book bloggers and why [I] love them".

I, of course, have to begin with Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, commonly known as Seven Imp, a book blog about children's books that is (if I may give my humble opinion) the preeminent children's book world blog. Interviews, artwork, children's book world discussions, this blog is a treasure trove of goodies waiting to be explored almost every day. Also, personally, they're named after a Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland quote, so how can I not love that?

a thousand Books with Quotes is another blog I look up often, as I appreciate the sampling of quotes from each book with the general synopsis. Better than any "look inside!" preview, it whets the appetite even more to find out what those quotes are about and where they fit in to the overall plot.

Last, but not least, As the Crowe Flies and Reads by my friend and former co-worker Ms. Emily Crowe is a fabulous read-and-travel-log. Sharing informed opinions, asking critical question, reviewing great books, and showcasing incredible photography and travel stories, this is one of my favorite blogs whether I'm looking for a literary book recommendation or my next dream vacation.

Blogs I have discovered today through the Hop include:

1. Pen and Paper, who gave me a great idea for a post about a Shelf of Awesome, coming soon, I hope!
2. Blkosiner's Book Blog hosted the original Shelf of Awesome idea.
3. A Trillian Books has an adorable blog design and great YA and adult book reviews.



4. For What It's Worth also has a stylish blog design and combines book reviews with music reviews - how great is that? I love discovering both!

As always, check 'em out!

Also just discovered this Follow My Book Blog Friday:





Hosted by Parajunkee, this is very similar to the Book Blogger Hop mentioned above. Today they are featuring Bailey of IB Book Blogging, and the question is: Do you read YA or stick with adult?

Both, of course! (Of course for me, anyway.) But this blog is for my children's/YA book review-related posts only. My adult book reviews can be found on Afterthoughts for Adults.

Thanks to Bloggin' 'Bout Books for turning me on to this!

Book Blogger Hop

It's my first Book Blogger Hop for my new blog. Hosted by Crazy-for-Books, I've participated before with Afterthoughts... (my children's book review blog) but this is Afterthoughts for Adults' inaugural hop. Thanks to all those stopping by!

Hello, in particular, to everyone who was just at BEA! This is my BEA post on Afterthoughts...

Here are some great new blogs I discovered today:

• Meil et Lait helped me discover the Lady Bloggers Society.
• As I Turn the Page introduced me to the sexy lady book blogger picture.
• I will check out She Is Too Fond of Book for my strong historical heroine fix.
• This blog discusses three of my favorite things in life: Cookies, Books, & Bikes

Book Blogger Hop!

It's that time again - the Book Blogger Hop presented by Crazy-for-Books.

As always, thanks to Presenting Lenore for turning me on to this great phenom.

This week's visits through the Book Blogger Hop were to:

Emily at Emily's Reading Room (where she's giving away a FREE bookcase, so stop by soon!)
Erika at Erika Breathes Books (where I discovered something called "Waiting on Wednesday" which led me to the next blog)
Jill at Breaking the Spine (who began "Waiting on Wednesday," an idea I'm going to have to use next Wednesday)

Check 'em out, and don't forget to visit the blogs from my last Book Blogger Hop post.

Book Blogger Hop!

Thank you to Presenting Lenore for turning me on to a phenomenon known as the Book Blogger Hop!

Through Presenting Lenore, I discovered Crazy-for-Books, who hosts this weekly event. Click on this link to sign up for this week's Book Blogger Hop.

What IS a BBH, you ask? Pretty much what it sounds like. If you have a blog that reviews books in some shape or form, and you want other people to read it (and come on, why else do you have a blog?), then you add your name to the BBH list. Other book bloggers add their names to the list as well. You check them out. They check you out. You meet some great new internet blogs & friends, and in turn, hope more people are turned on to the wisdom of your own posts.

You know, like, "I'll scratch your back, if you scratch mine."
Or maybe, "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours."

Something like that...so sign on!

Other book blogs I've discovered through the BBH include:

Persnickety Snark (a YA book review blog I actually found before and had neglected to bookmark!)
The Compulsive Reader (another YA book blog with a great title)
The Story Siren (a big book blog that awes me and inspires me to get more creative with my own)
Reading with Tequila (I confess, I checked it out because of the name, and then stayed for the reviews)
A Blog About Nothing (again, followed for the name, stayed for the reviews)
Book of Secrets (a blog that will tell me everything about my guilty pleasure reading)

Check 'em out!